According to Blockworks, Aleo, a zero knowledge privacy (ZKP) network, has introduced a protocol called zPass, which uses zero knowledge cryptography to verify identities. Users can upload identity documents offline to privacy servers and share anonymous proofs with organizations, eliminating the need for companies to store this data themselves. Users can control who they share their information with and how much personal data they reveal. Alex Pruden, Aleo's CEO, explained that zPass is based on a research paper on zk-creds, which aimed to create a digital record from a US passport for age verification purposes.
On zPass, a two-step process ensures that individual identities are safely verified. First, the issuance of the record on-chain is based on the existence of a physical record, and then individuals control their own privacy keys, which generate the proof of identity. John Reynolds, a product manager for Aleo, noted that existing zk identity systems either rely on centralized proving schemes or are decentralized but not private. Aleo's system allows users to act as provers, generating proofs that are validated by decentralized validators without pushing overhead verification to third-party systems.
Reynolds highlighted that decentralized identity solutions are not private, as information is publicly available on a database, allowing users to be tracked. With zPass, Aleo aims to focus primarily on providing zk age verification and creating child-safe spaces online. The main goal is to lean into age verification to support children and protect them from potential predators or predatory content.
